How Do I Escape D&D?

Although I’ve been writing games (and about them) for over 20 years, I haven’t done much for the Big One. I’ve done a few OGL bits here and there, a Dungeon article for 4e, and a run on the dual statted line for 7th Sea. I talk a lot about the other games that are out there on the panels and podcasts I get to be on and there’s always one inevitable question:

"I love this new game that I bought but I can’t get my group to try it. How do I escape D&D?"

That question has come up a lot on social media since the OGL 1.1 leak. Here are some of the options I’ve seen work well when I’ve suggested them to friends. Different tactics work well on different people so don’t be afraid to keep trying even if you strike out at first. I also hope folks will post their success stories in the comment to offer additional advice.

Don’t Trash The Mothership​

In trying to sell a new game, a lot of people make the mistake of comparing everything to D&D. Usually in a negative way where D&D does it badly and the new game does it well. True as that may be, remember that people have feelings about D&D and those feelings are often complicated. It’s better to focus on the positive stuff that a new game does without needing trash talk. Players are already making those comparisons when considering a new game.

Learn To Love The One Shot​

The true villain of any D&D game is logistics. There will almost always be someone unable to make it or nights where the current DM is unavailable. These nights can be opportunities to try out a different game to see if it vibes with a group. There are a lot of great starter sets out there that make this sort of game easy complete with ready made characters and a story that plays out in a session or two. There are also games built for this mode of play like Fiasco.

Check Out An Actual Play Of The New Game​

Critical Role gets a lot of press in this space but there are a few crews who play games other than D&D. Showing one of these games to a group will help them learn the rules and see what you like about the game. Of course, I would love it if you check out my crew Theatre of the Mind Players but there are some other great shows in this space like The Glass Cannon Network and One Shot Podcast Network among others.

Find The Right Fandom​

While there are a lot of fans of D&D, those fans are also fans of other things. Licensed games are your friend here. If you have a member of the group that’s based their current character on Aang or Spock, they are more likely to try Avatar Legends or Star Trek Adventures. Players into a genre will do the work on learning new rules because they want to experience their favorite world.

Switch Either Genre or System But Not Both​

Some people prefer to ease into the pool rather than jump in. For those folks, switching one element of an RPG might help with the change. Play fantasy with a different system like Savage Worlds or Shadow of the Demon Lord. Or choose another 5e game in a different genre. There are some excellent conversions out there like Doctors & Daleks or works like Everyday Heroes.

Build To A Season Finale​

Jumping out of an ongoing campaign can be frustrating to players who have invested into the story and their characters. Take a page from how TV networks run serial stories. Build to a season finale in the story: a big battle, a dramatic trial, a wedding full of intrigue. Give some storylines closure, hint at some new ones to come, but helping the storyline come to an end for not makes it easier to move to a different one. And, if nobody likes the new game, there’s always room for another season.

 

[clearstream]

.​

Don’t Trash The Mothership​

In trying to sell a new game, a lot of people make the mistake of comparing everything to D&D. Usually in a negative way where D&D does it badly and the new game does it well. True as that may be, remember that people have feelings about D&D and those feelings are often complicated. It’s better to focus on the positive stuff that a new game does without needing trash talk. Players are already making those comparisons when considering a new game.

• Don't trash the mothership: No one wants to hear the language/framework they invested their career in sucks or is obsolete

It's good advice, and you can see how easy it is to passively trash the mothership in the bolded lines.

It's not that D&D players don't want to hear it, it's that it's truth value is subjective.

Advance from "it's bad, but you just don't understand or want to admit it" to "D&D is the most successful RPG ever designed, but other games are brilliant in different ways." And explain those ways.

 

[Umbran]

Advance from "it's bad, but you just don't understand or want to admit it" to "D&D is the most successful RPG ever designed, but other games are brilliant in different ways." And explain those ways.

Or, even a half-step further, we have the challenge sometimes put forth by Moderator Emeritus Piratecat:

"I double-dog dare you to tell us how awesome your game is without comparing it to another game."

 

[Umbran]

As I said, I've seen people--different people more than once--advocate starting up a campaign sold as about being about X and then take a left turn abruptly into Y, both genre and tonally, and suggest that it'll be great, and everyone will love it.

Heck, I have seen 50+ person multi-year campaign larps actually do the bait-and-switch.

Not everyone loved it.

Maxim: Screw with the characters. Do not screw with the players.

Movies can get away with artfully mucking with expectations because they are pretty short, and call for minimal commitment. YOur game generally calls for more from the players, so you have less leeway in that regard.

 

[RareBreed]

"I double-dog dare you to tell us how awesome your game is without comparing it to another game."

Can I say "Compared to Brand X..." to protect the innocent?

 

[Umbran]

Can I say "Compared to Brand X..." to protect the innocent?

Nope. Defeats the purpose of the exercise.

Describing it without comparison requires a more complete notion of why it is good.

 

[Hex08]

Try bait and switch. Falsely advertise that you are going to run a 5e game and when everyone has signed the dotted line, switch systems. Tell them it's a streamlined version of 5e or some kind of double talk like that. Works like a charm.

My group is so oblivious to rules systems that I could easily do this (they rely on me to tell then the rules generally). I wouldn't, but I could.

 

[RareBreed]

I remember in 1986, a (now somewhat infamous) RPG combat system came out called Phoenix Command Combat System (PCCS for short). The back of the box had this blurb...

Are you tired of your current small arms combat system? Tired of inconsistencies and rules that simply don't work? If so, we invite you to conduct a short test.

Using your current small arms combat system, place the muzzle of the large caliber pistol between your character's eyes. Squeeze the trigger. Continue squeezing the trigger until he falls unconscious. Then have a friend put a band-aid over that nasty .45 caliber dent in his skull, and try not to get him shot too often in the next week or two it takes to heal.

Now, using Phoenix Command, place the same pistol in the same place. Squeeze the trigger. You now have a choice: you can either roll up a new character or rush the body to a very sophisticated medical facility and discover the joys of role-playing a vegetable.

If you you are nodding and smiling, and thinking it would be nice to have a combat system that really works, welcome to Phoenix Command!

So perhaps a little harsh, but to my 14 yr old mind, I was like "oh yeahhhhhh". At the time, I was mostly a post-apocalypse or hard sci-fi gamer (Twilight 2000, Traveller 2300, Aftermath), and I bemoaned the lack of "realism" (yes, I know that's a dirty word in some circles). I actually think Greg Porter's SpaceTime and TimeLords had a better and more realistic damage system than even PCCS did, but still, it was to me a god-send.

They were not directly comparing themselves to any game out there, but they clearly displayed who would like a system like theirs, and why. So I don't think you have to just evangelize a game 100% on its own merits. To some degree, you have to compare it to its competitors, otherwise why bother? The inevitable question will be: "but how does it compare to X?" or "how is it different than X?".

If I said I came up with a new car and said it was a great mid size with good fuel economy, nice handling, and a comfy interior, I will immediately ask, "compared to what?" or "even if that is true, why would I switch my current car also has decent fuel economy, decent handling and an acceptable interior"?

 

[RareBreed]

whoops accidentally replied to my own post

 

[RareBreed]

I guess my rejoinder would be

I double dog dare you not to compare in your head your favorite game(s) with the one I am about to describe to you

 

[MichaelSomething]

Any encouragement towards playing new games is welcomed in my book.

While D&D works well enough for most people, I like to try something new now and again.